Taste-Testing the “Beyond Burger”

You might wonder why an unabashed omnivore would bother to taste-test the vegan “Beyond” burger. Well, let’s just say I have a curious mind! And here, for other curious minds, is my unsolicited — and definitely not sponsored! — review of this popular plant-based patty:

The following video review is very short and to the point. Click the “play” arrow to watch it:

Have you already sampled the Beyond Burger? Please post your own review in the comments field below. And please note that I am not a food purist. As proof, check out the myriad dessert recipes on this site.

Terrific timing for me to watch this video and comment! I am a vegetarian. My nephew told me about this burger a couple weeks ago. I thought it was a little expensive at $3 a piece, but I bought a package. FABULOUS!!! In the past I’ve made my own veggie burgers… used different recipes… often labor intensive. Nothing compares to this. Give it a try… and as Kevin commented, consider steering away from beef. You will help the planet.
Ingredients: Water, Pea Protein Isolate, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Refined Coconut Oil, Contains 2% or less of the following: Cellulose from Bamboo, Methyl cellulose, Potato Starch, Natural Flavor, Maltodextrin, Yeast Extract, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Dried Yeast, Gum Arabic, Citrus Extract (to protect quality), …

I am very allergic to onion. Everything I find that is already put together, like these burgers, contain onion. Do these? I have to do everything from scratch because onion is literally in everything. My granddaughter has Celiac Disease. You should see the two of us in the grocery store. It takes forever as we must read every ingredient label. I could tell these are good for a man to say they are.

Tried these last year. I had to throw them out. Found the smell while they were cooking nauseating. And the grease they left behind, combined with the litany of chemicals was very off putting. I’ll stick with my bison burgers.

As a vegetarian of 15 years, it’s exciting to see so many more choices available for meat alternatives. My local health food co-op started carrying Beyond Burgers last summer, and I enjoy them on the grill or pan fried (I also use olive oil when cooking them on the stove; olive oil seems to give them a nice sear and enhances the flavor).

Thanks Kevin. Can’t wait to try! Quit eating anything with a face about a year ago for health reasons and especially for the love of animals and our planet! Plant based eating makes so much sense!! Please watch the videos “What the Health” and “Forks Over Knives”. Seeing those did it for me once and for all! Blessings!!

I was so excited to find these in my local Food Lion that I bought 2 packs months ago. With great anticipation, I cooked up one burger, took a bite or 2 and threw the thing out. I thought it was atrocious and didn’t even give it to my dogs. I let the remaining one in the package get old and then I just tossed it. The other pack I had frozen and finally realized that I’d never eat them, so tossed that package too. I’m glad you had a good experience, but I just didn’t.

Kevin, I believe you must be invested in this company, you gave it such RAVE reviews.
This is a GMO loaded piece of poison and I wouldn’t eat it with your mouth. My trust and faith in you and your “reviews” is gone.

Tried it once, never again. I did not enjoy the ‘boingy-ness’ or the mouth feel that they achieved trying to make this be ‘beyond meat’. Why I wonder, if people want to be vegan or vegetarian would they want to replicate what they are so against? That has never made any sense to me. If you want to eat as a vegetarian, eat veggies-why shape them or make them smell, taste, look like meat? The packaging alone for those 2 patties is appalling and negates any supposed ‘earth-saving gains’, let alone the cost of them is foolish. Purchase your meats from as local as you can, grass fed organically raised meats and sustainable sources. Yes it is more money so, just don’t eat meat as often, eat vegetables that look like vegetables a few times a week and derive your proteins from beans and grains and legumes for those meals. My opinion only.

It just seems wrong to me to want to eat vegan or vegetarian, yet still want your food to look and taste like animal! And to make a plant based burger pink and juicy, like underdone beef, is just gross to me!
I’ve eaten the bean burgers, and they were good, not a meat replacement, but as a change from beef on a burger.
Think about it… many don’t eat meat to save the animals, but want to keep the yummy animal taste and bloodiness! Something is just not right there.
I say, enjoy plant based foods for the taste of the plants!

Glad you tried them, but I am not a fan. Anything with seed oils is inflammatory to our systems. Pea protein was just in the news showing a host of allergic reactions because we’re eating so much of it. It’s the new protein. Not many people know that more animals are killed in the monocropping of these plant crops than if just a cow is killed. There’s lots of misinformation out there. There’s more nutrient dense goodness in a beef patty than all the ingredients in those burgers. Bamboo? Not sure we’re supposed to be eating that . Anyhoo, love your posts. Just felt compelled to speak up since this is all the new rage and I believe it’s going to actually lend to more inflammation and illness in the long run. To each their own. But if vegans and vegetarians dislike beef so much, why the expense to try to imitate it? It’s curious to me. Also, saw yesterday they’re coming out with plant based eggs. People need to understand cholesterol is essential to our health. It’s been demonized.
Keep up the awesome posts and love your sense of adventure and candid assessment! Cheers

The packaging is atrocious! I also agree that the ingredient list is cringe worthy. Both will keep me from ever buying this product. I appreciate that Kevin did a review. But I’ll pass! I do agree with others that I’ve never understood why vegan food should imitate the very thing they say they hate!
I still love you, Kevin and all the great stuff you put into your blog!

I also have never understood vegan “bacon”-“turkey”- “sausage” etc. If you don’t eat animal products then just don’t eat them or look alikes. It’s just stupid. “I’ve never killed a real animal but I like eating things that taste like the dead animal”. Listen to yourself.

I was very intrigued by your review, and made the Beyond Burgers for dinner last night. I haven’t eaten red meat in over 30 years, and you are right- these taste much better than I remember beef burgers tasting! They are quick to make and taste like a real burger grilled outside, with a nice smoky flavor. Thanks for the video and recommendation!

I formally ate all local/organic raised poultry and pork products but can’t any longer – I’m allergic to meat now thanks to a tick bite, so I’m pescatarian not by choice. I like the Beyond Meat products to add variety – the hot italian sausage is my favorite. Sorry to everyone that’s so offended that they can make things taste like meat out of plants, but some us us get tired of just plant taste.

So glad you tried it and others seems open to doing the same! The Beyond Burger is on weekly rotation at my house. I use a heavy hand of Montreal Seasoning plus goes great with the Trader Joe’s Goddess dressing. Yum!

I was very pleased to see that you agree with me that the Beyond Burger is delish. They cook up perfectly outside on the grill too so I don’t get left out when the rest of the party is eating cow. Happiness all around. 🙂

Thanks for reviewing this product, Kevin, and on your recommendation, I will give it a try, despite the negative reviews. I never cook meat burgers of any kind since I tried your black bean burger recipe; that’s my burger now. Delish!

Kevin, I enjoy your web site so much. Many years ago I printed out one of your
recipes……….Carmelized Onions and Vermont Blue Cheese Galette.
Just found the recipe in a drawer. I keep all of your other recipes in my Kevin
Folder. Just tried to find this recipe on line, but do not see it. It did not have a
picture with it…..Guess that was before you filmed all of your things. I want to make
this for a group this summer. Let me know if you have a picture of the
finished product……. If not, I will just have to wing it !!!!! I have a friend who loves
Blue cheese…….. Thanks………..Cornelia

Thanks for the review, Kevin! Just to clarify for everyone, the Beyond Burger is non-GMO. Its ingredient list is a bit more to my liking and sounds healthier. The Impossible Burger, a different brand, is loaded with soy and is likely made with GMO soy, and has other lab-grown ingredients. Come to your own conclusions, but they are very different from each other.

I bought these marked down to 55 cents (Au) at Coles supermarket, 95% off. I found them chewey, all the cellulose (from bamboo). I too often wonder why vegans and vegetarians need to pretend they are eating meat. I believe Hungry Jacks/Burger King in Australia serve these.